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The use of foliage as additional helmet camo.


Sabrejet
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It is made of cut burlap strips that comes in rolls of material. These were intended for the repair of WWII style vehicle cammo nets that were still in use in the 50's and 60's.

I have two 11th ABN yearbooks from that era, one for the 188th Inf and one for the 511th.

It seems to have been a standard procedure since there are several pictures of it.

In some cases the burlap was secured between the shell and the liner, in other cases the were just folded under the elastic cammo band.

3AD circa 1958 also used the burlap strips in the field. My Dads yearbook show them in many pics from Graf and Wildflecken

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Hmmmm :think: Was it more of a Marines thing, perhaps?

In that rice paddy and at that moment, that Marine had more to worry about than the effectiveness of his helmet cammo. And I think that has been the case more often than not.

 

According to WW2 USMC procurement specifications & drawings, the "1st Pattern 1942 camo cover" as we here call it, had the foliage slits, not the later ones. I think field use indicated by '43 that they weren't used, and their omission saved money. Besides that, with a Kabar you could make your own slits on a helmet cover the-that had a life expectancy of 10 times that of the guy wearing it.

 

I also agree from knowing WW2 USMC & Army vet's and studying photos, that in the field full-time use of helmet foliage in the PTO was probably more of a liability than an asset. Not to mention inconvenient, when you had a couple of other things to captivate your time and attention in combat.

 

Best regards,

Paul in Oregon

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  • 2 weeks later...

post-34986-0-23346200-1412737607.jpg

 

Two examples of foliage worn by yours truly.

 

This first one was taken by a Platoon mate of mine at Ft Benning out on a live fire range during our AIT phase, late February 1980, it was during the Fire and Maneuver Training phase. After seeing seanmc's photo of a 1960s Ft Polk Inf AIT Trainee with leaves and junk on his pot, reminded me of this photo of myself. Also that it would seem the wearing of leaves and junk must of been standard for this phase of Inf AIT going aways back then. In my yearbook (don't got it no more) I remember the stock photos in the front of the book showing leaves and junk being worn during, what was certainly this important phase of Inf AIT training, these stock photos only going back three years at the most by late 79-early Jan-Apr 80.

 

 

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post-34986-0-82930100-1412738879.jpg

 

And this second one.

 

A posed foto when I was a MG Gunner, Ft Hood around April 1981, here we really didn't do this at all (did it more often in Alaska in the two non winter months, but don't have fotos of those times).This time around at Hood, it was something done on a wim while we were out on a Company level FYX for a few days, the Company CO ordered everyone one day to affix foliage, I used some of the ubiquitous pine shrub thats seen all over this reservation.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Marines with Foliage, unknown unit of the 1st Mar Div, Cp Pendleton CA, May 1964, a rather slap dash application as we see,never the less it's shows that the Marines could do it too on occasion.The officer chatting with one of them is Victor Krulak, at this time Gen Krulak was Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Pacific.

 

 

 

post-34986-0-24902600-1415151016.jpg

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Here's one I came across. Besides the grass on the helmet,its an unssual photo in that that GI with the grass on his helmet is wearing some type of jacket, that appears to be a jump jacket but the lower pockets as we see are not gusseted, any ideas on what this is, a marine shirt ? or maybe a sailor ?. No location or unit is give or date is given for this photo. this most likely will be in Korea or Japan ? Mac is a 5 star.

post-34986-1324664450.jpg

 

Found out who the GI with with the grass on the pot is. He is in fact Brigadier General James Dalton II, Assistant Divisional Commander 25th Infantry Division in WWII. Photo was taken on Luzon, Dalton would in fact be Killed in Action, wasn't aware of this till a little while ago.

 

PS still don't know what that jacket is, modified jump jacket, a field made number, a Australian Army Bush Jacket???? Also believe the two star in photo is Mullins the Division CO at the time.

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South vietnamese or Koreans on patrol

ROKs, note the ROK rank chevron on the lead man's helmet, looks like Staff Sergeant.

 

post-34986-0-20144800-1424230855.jpg

 

 

 

Thanks for posting these, particularly the one,s of the wounded Marines, which are quite well known, we should of remembered them to post before

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ROKs, note the ROK rank chevron on the lead man's helmet, looks like Staff Sergeant.

 

Kind of dangerous for the Seargent to be the pointman?

 

attachicon.gif ROK.JPG

 

It was nothing. Thought it would be nice to post

 

Thanks for posting these, particularly the one,s of the wounded Marines, which are quite well known, we should of remembered them to post before

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  • 1 month later...

Really, Patches .... "Private Benjamin"!!!!!

HeeHee HeHeee, yeah I knew it was Colleen Brennan.

 

Here's her nemesis Pvt Benjamin also with foliage :D

post-34986-0-28087000-1426876960.jpg

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